Family reunion

Alas, I haven't yet been out to the new(ish) O Brother taproom in Wicklow. Its creation is the reason they've given for the reduced number of new release beers of late. Some sort of normality seems to be returning, however, as here's three of them.

A saison starts us off, very much an under-served style among Irish brewers. Year of Plenty is 5.8% ABV and a mostly-clear gold, given just a dusting of haze. Not much is given away in the aroma, just dry husky grain and a little sweet fruit ester for a hint of honeydew. That's all fair for ordinary decent saison, and the flavour is too. Chopped apple and dried apricot represent the fruit, while clove and white pepper add some fun Belgian seasoning to that. Throw on a dry wheaty base, and that's saison, ladies and gentlemen: what else could you want? This is heftier than your classic saison from Belgium, and ordinarily the stronger sort doesn't appeal to me as much, but this one has a more piquant spicing than other hot and flabby versions I've tasted. That gives it an extra drinkability, not cancelling out the thicker sweet side, but making it more enjoyable. Non-typical takes on saison aren't normally my thing; this one manages to pull in the good bits of the archetypes and adds only worthwhile extra features. Very nicely done.

Next, My Mortal Soul is a Märzen. It's a strong one at 6.1% ABV, and dark too: well into the amber end of the spectrum, like the sticky Oktoberfestbier preferred by American breweries. On top of that was a short-lived head of big loose bubbles, and there's a concomitant lack of fizz. Many an ale would benefit from the gentle sparkle presented here, but a German-style lager, not so much. That does also mean it's overly heavy. I don't mind a bit of chewing in a strong lager but there should be a balancing crispness when one chooses that route, and this is just a little too syrupy. It does at least use that density to pile in lots of fun flavours while avoiding the cloying heat of the, er, cheaper sort of strong lager. Summer fruit sits up front, a jammy smear of strawberry and red cherry. That contrasts with a significant hop bitterness, typically herbal in the German way, with some zinc to go with the spinach and celery. It's flawed, but I liked it. This beer's heart is in the right place and it delivers a pleasing amount of complexity, even if it's closer (I reckon) to a pale bock than Märzen. Serve in your tall Prussian sipping glass, not the hearty Bavarian mug.

Only one IPA in the set? That's refreshing. Silent Roar is a 6% ABV example, badged as "tropical" and mostly smelling it too, though there's a hint of savoury onion alongside the sweetly colourful Lilt aroma. It's on the thin side for that strength, and the flavour, while pleasant, isn't especially strong. I expected rather more oomph. I mean, it does do tropical. There is mango and pineapple and all that jazz -- add some ripe pear and orange pith for extra fun -- but where modern IPAs tend to lay these on thick and juicy (when they get it right), here it's at a remove, more like the flavouring of a fizzy drink than anything freshly squeezed, or squeezed at all. I'm being overly fussy, however. This is bright and genuinely refreshing, and while I expected a certain seriousness from the strength (and the rather po-faced name), I thoroughly enjoyed the fruity frivolity on offer. I'd chance a pint, no problem.

They may not have included the customary double IPA in their recent output (unless I missed it), but O Brother hasn't suffered any decline in their usual high standards from the brewery move. When the days get brighter I'll venture out there.